TMac NOT Kobe coming to Phoenix?

[Yuma]

"Sunrise for TMac?

It's only April, and this is only speculation, but ESPN.com contributor and Chicago Tribune columnist Sam Smith believes the Suns and Magic could get together on a blockbuster trade centering on Tracy McGrady. In his Tribune column Smith writes the Suns are the Magic's best trading partner: "And that should work for McGrady, who'll need to assure the team he is sent to he'll sign. He'll do that with the Suns so he can play with Orlando buddy Amare Stoudemire, the big man he never could get with the Magic. It probably would take Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and a No. 1 pick to get it done. But where were the Suns going with the team they've got?"

Let the speculation begin! Or continue..... Like George outlined earlier, we aren't going to clear enough cap space to get Kobe, unless there's a trade. A trade for TMac could work.

 

[Joe Mama]

Sam Smith is a world-class moron. It's unbelievable that he has a job covering the NBA anywhere. I can't believe ESPN allows him to work for them.

Joe Mama

 

[ArizonaLacky]

NO WAY, NO WAY, i can see the marion, but to give up joe johnson and a first round draft pick, and marion, that is way to much. I was thinking marion and first rounder, adn maybe another player, but not johnson who finally showed that a team might have had a reason picking him so high in the first round a couple years ago.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

This article was posted a bit earlier this week. Like Joe said, Sam Smith is the only writer who publishes more ******** than Peter Vecsey.

It is pretty clear the Suns are one of the few teams that can make a reasonable offer for TMAC, but I wouldn't discount Memphis. Jerry West has stockpiled young talent for this reason, and I wouldn't be surprised if Tracey pushed to get back with his best friend Mike Miller. Also, don't discount Chicago's ability to get a deal done. They could offer a resigned Jamal Crawford and one of their big guys to the magic.

Plus, trading for TMAC doesn't really effect the suns ability to get Kobe. Assuming Marion is part of the deal, plus a couple other players, our salary structure would be very similar to what it is now. Not to say the suns would attempt to get both, but it has been well documented that they would have the option to put a Kobe/Tracey combo on the floor next year.



edit: Found it, it has a good amount of responses to. http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29288

 

[George O'Brien]

Didn't we just go through this discussion?

We don't really know what it would take to get T-Mac. Trading Marion is a given (nothing else make cap sense) and I would be happy to give up any of the following:

Lottery pick
Cleveland pick
Jacobsen
Cabakapa
Voskuhl
White
Eisley. (Including Eisley only makes sense if the Suns eat most of his contract.)

The guys I would NOT give up are:

Stoudemire
Johnson
Barbosa
Vujanic
Lampe

I'm not sure this would be enough, but these five guys have too much potential to be just "throw-ins" for a trade.

One other thought: I wonder what the Magic can reasonably expect to get. They might want a super star, but I would wonder if any of the teams with available super stars would be acceptable to T-Mac. Boston with Pierce is a mess, Seattle with Allen is struggling, Philadelphia with Iverson is a bit better; but hardly an ideal environment either. (Also, I can't see the Magic wanting Iverson, but maybe I'm wrong).

My guess is that the Suns would be relatively attractive to McGrady. Orlando may not get any offers of players, from teams McGrady would accept, that would be much better than Marion.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

I agree with your list of players that I wouldn't trade.

As for other teams that could make a play for TMAC:

Dallas:
A combo of Michael Finley with Daniels and Howard might do it

Memphis:
Some combination of
Gasol/Battier/Wells/Posey/Swift

Houston:

Steve Francis and Mobley would match up for TMAC. I would think Houston would jump at it, and Orlando gets 2 proven scorers at decent contracts.

New Orleans:

Mashburn and Diaw might get it done.

Indiana

Al Harrington and Jonathan Bender. Maybe Croshere for salary purposes.

Washington

Kwame Brown and Stackhouse + fillers?

Chicago

Chandler or Curry plus Crawford.

Boston

Pierce.


There are some other alternatives to Phoenix. However, I see the most likely teams as Phx, Memphis, Chicago, Indiana or Houston. I chose these because they have the best combination of talent and salaries, plus Tracey would be likely to resign in each location (Maybe not Chicago)

 

[elindholm]

Good list, tgc (not to be confused with trh!). In my opinion, the packages you suggest with New Orleans, Chicago, and Indiana wouldn't be adequate to the Magic, but the other ones seem reasonable at first blush. Memphis would love to get McGrady without giving up Gasol, but I don't see any way to make that work.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Yah they were pretty much just off the top of my head. I think Orlando would accept Eddy Curry and a resigned Crawford. Despite his underachievement, Curry has value still. It would give them a PG and a center, which are two big areas of need.

The New Orleans has almost no chance of happening, I'll give you that.

I think Indy might be able to put together a package good enough, without including Oneal or Artest. Not necessarily the one I listed, but I would imagine it would include Harrington, and maybe Bender.

 

[Joe Mama]

The New Orleans has almost no chance of happening, I'll give you that.

Especially because Diaw doesn't even play for New Orleans. He is an Atlanta Hawk. Regardless, the Orlando Magic are not going to accept a trade with New Orleans where Mashburn is the centerpiece of what they get back.

Joe Mama

 

[minercon]

No matter what you guys say, I still think Marion is a much better player over Johnson. Watch it....you will regret keeping Johnson in the long run....he has no killer instinct and when we are finally play-off bound as a good team you will not be able to count on him to make that last second basket.

 

[SweetD]

No matter what you guys say, I still think Marion is a much better player over Johnson. Watch it....you will regret keeping Johnson in the long run....he has no killer instinct and when we are finally play-off bound as a good team you will not be able to count on him to make that last second basket.

True but his contact is much less and if we get Tmac of Kobe JJ's will be able to produce at a high level and only getting payed 6mil, plus it will not take a max contract to keep him.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Especially because Diaw doesn't even play for New Orleans. He is an Atlanta Hawk. Regardless, the Orlando Magic are not going to accept a trade with New Orleans where Mashburn is the centerpiece of what they get back.

Joe Mama

LOL, man talk about a slip.

 

[WildBB]

Trading both Marian and Johnson would be absurd. No one to play D again. That team would go nowhere.

 

[F-Dog]

LOL, man talk about a slip.

You mean that the Mashburn/Diaw idea wasn't in Sam Smith's article?

 

[George O'Brien]

Trading JJ for T-Mac is more like a free agency signing because of vast salary difference. In any case, Marion would be easier to sell to the Magic fans because his a former all star, member of the natinal team, and puts up pretty good numbers. JJ has had a pretty good half of a season.

 

[Joe Mama]

Trading both Marian and Johnson would be absurd. No one to play D again. That team would go nowhere.

With those two guys the Phoenix Suns were one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. Frankly I think both of them are somewhat overrated defensively, especially Shawn Marion. JJ is at least a very good one-on-one defender.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

With those two guys the Phoenix Suns were one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. Frankly I think both of them are somewhat overrated defensively, especially Shawn Marion. JJ is at least a very good one-on-one defender.
Joe Mama

I think Shawn could be a lot better, but I agree he does not have good defensive fundimentals. He is tries to block shots on the perimeter rather than just focusing on staying in front of his man, he gambles a lot to generate steals but gives up open shots, and he plays off his man too much - at least partially because the Suns trap so much leaving him guarding an area.

As I've said many times before, the Suns need a defense specialist as an assistant coach.